The Effect of the Food Contaminant Furan on Adrenal Cortex of Adult Male Albino Rats: Histological and Biochemical Study

Furan is produced during food processing and preservation techniques that involve heat treatment. Furan-exposed rats showed dose-dependent gross and histological changes in endocrine and reproductive organs. Aim: this work was carried out to investigate the effect of furan on the histological structure of adrenal cortex in adult male rats. Material and methods: twenty adult male albino rats (4 months old) were divided equally into two groups. Group I (control) and group II (Furan- treated) that was administered furan in a dose of 8 mg kg/ day orally by dissolving it in corn oil for 90 days. The animals were sacrificed at the end of the experiment. The suprarenal glands of the two groups were prepared for light and electron microscope examination. Blood samples from animals of all groups for estimation of serum corticosterone with statistical analysis of the levels were done. Morphometric study was also performed. Serum level of corticosterone showed significant decrease after furan administration. Results: The suprarenal cortex of the furan-treated group (group II) exhibited loss of architecture of both the zona glomerulosa and fasciculata with cellular infiltration. Areas of hyperplasia were found under the capsule. Also, the cells of zona fasciculata appeared with marked cytoplasmic vacuolation, whereas zona reticularis cells had condensed nuclei and congested blood sinusoids. Ultrastructurally, the cells of zona glomerulosa and fasciculata showed swollen mitochondria with disrupted cristae and many lipid droplets. Electron dense apoptotic nuclei were also seen.